eyrieowl's reviews

  • Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical IF SP AF

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    f2.8, sharp, solid feel, comfortable size
    some overexposure w/flash, some vignetting at 2.8 at ends

    I have used this lens for a Nikon d50. I read a number of reviews before settling on this lens, and I haven't been disappointed. The lens rarely hunts for focus, focus is generally pretty fast, and having a good quality f2.8 in this range is a real joy. i bought this lens in anticipation of a recent trip to thailand, and the lens rarely left the camera. i switched back to a super zoom on a couple of occasions, but i really couldn't reconcile myself to the lower quality images and slower apertures. so, i pretty much just went without anything but this lens and i'm very happy i did. and the price is great as well. next up, an f2.8 for 50mm+!

    reviewed August 21st, 2007 (purchased for $378)

  • Sigma 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 DG Macro

    5 out of 10 points and not recommended
    wide range, relatively compact, macro functionality, price
    slow, not very sharp, doesn't go wide-enough on aps sensor, color cast

    This was my first lens for my Nikon d50. Which was my first true digital camera (other than 3mp point-and-shoot i'd gotten with my printer). prior to that, i'd been shooting on a venerable Canon AE-1. I had a cheapie 28-210 zoom on that body (no, I didn't know much about lenses), so when i moved into digital, i went for the same range. this lens...was a decent starter lens to begin to learn digital photography. but i am not sure it'll be going back on my camera again. i'd rather forgo the range for quality and speed. the price wasn't bad, and i certainly have learned from the lens, so, it's not all bad. training wheels for my dslr!

    reviewed August 21st, 2007 (purchased for $179)

  • Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor

    7 out of 10 points and recommended
    walking around, vr, hsm focusing
    variable aperture, zoom creep, vignetting, sharpness

    There's simply no other comparable alternative. The Sigma OS just doesn't have as good a quality, and it's ever slower to boot. So...if you want a single lens to do it all, this is really all there is. And there are definitely times when I need that (like, say, at the beach), times when I don't want to change lenses. It's great for that, but it's not great. I much prefer my fast glass to this in most situations. It's a nice enough lens, though, a very nice range to have coverage on, and I would definitely recommend it as a primary lens to the novice or a secondary lens for the enthusiast.

    reviewed November 29th, 2007 (purchased for $700)